There are reasons to believe 49ers can upset Chargers

Everyone expects the 49ers to lose Sunday. Even the 49ers probably expect the 49ers to lose if they’re being honest with themselves.

They’re on the road again. They don’t have their quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. And they’re playing the Los Angeles Chargers, who do have their quarterback, Philip Rivers.

The 49ers are 10½-point underdogs. The biggest dogs in the league this weekend.

I’m picking the 49ers anyway. I have a crazy feeling about this game.

Here’s why I’m picking the 49ers.

This article has 66 Comments

  1. The defense will be better when the offense gets first downs, controls the ball, and scores in the red zone. Cant tackle cant win. Niners running backs are injured, forty might be a little high. I have been a believer in CJ, this is his chance to shine. Looking forward to the game tomorrow.

  2. The 49ers desperately need some stars to emerge and lift this team up. We’ve often seen individual spells of brilliance lifts the entire team’s level of play.

    Maybe a Kick return touchdown…or Pick-six. :)

  3. Nice try Grant.
    Consider: Even with Garoppolo, San Francisco’s defense ranks 27th in opponents’ scoring. They’ve missed more tackles than anyone else in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, with 43. The offense was 28th in third-down conversion rate (30 percent) and 26th in red-zone efficiency (42 percent).

    1. Okay, so where do the Chargers rank in missed tackles?

      Like few others, I’m too cheap to get past the PFF pay wall.

  4. C.J. is trash. He hasn’t shown me anything last year or even this year that he’s going to be a game changer. And our awful defense won’t help us out even if our offense has a decent game. We have no corners. No pass rush. And no run stopping ability. Last week we had two straight 3rd and 5 drives be converted by running against us. Let’s just play for a top 3 pick next year and get it right this time.

  5. How is Philip Rivers not going to shred the 49er defense? Couple that with the horrendous CJ Beathard and you have a recipe for disaster.

  6. I have the same feeling. If KS is a real head crouch he will have this team believing in themselves Good chance that the Chargers will be overlooking this game. Let’s find out Sunday

  7. I think 49ers will cover the spread and yes, anything can happen. I think the Chargers will win, but I will not be shocked if Niners pull off the upset. Concerned about Breda and just how bad the Defense really is.

    If the defense continues to play horribly, the new story of the season will become if Saleh will be fired or not.

    1. I agree with Craig Robinsoni think with Jimmy being. out I had my doubts. About cj beathard I do believe he will get the job done and I will have to say beathard is on fire and he is anxious and roaring to go so good luck today in the game today. cj

  8. Grant, I agree.
    .
    Luckily, the Niners can feign weakness real easy, and that will lull the Chargers into a sense of complacency.
    .
    The Niners should expect the Chargers to stack the box and dare the Niners to throw.
    .
    The Niners should shape their opponent by spreading them out wide, and attack the edges.
    .
    Yes, the running game is critical, but I would like to see Juice get more carries. There should always be the fullback dive option, and Juice should channel Tom Rathman.
    .
    Another run play that is deceptive is the naked bootleg. However, CJB should run out of bounds or slide feet first to be safe.
    .
    The easiest way to defeat the Chargers, is for the Niners to not beat themselves.

  9. If Jimmy G. being out was the only issue, you could say next man up and go from there. But the reality is that we could be using RB3 (Morris) for a lot of the game and no starting DB’S from game one (remember Witherspoon has been dinged up as well.) If I am San Diego, I go 3 and 4 wide against this secondary so there is never more than 7 in the box. Run or pass out of that and take their chances. For the 9ers, the healthy units have to carry the load. The WR’S & TE’S cannot just drop passes. The front 7 has to get to the QB and they cannot miss tackles. And the special teams have to win each time they are on the field. The 49ers can come away with a win, but they cannot keep beating themselves

  10. I wouldn’t be upset if cjb missed a game or two due to injury, mullens outplayed him big time in pre-season…..wanna see him vs live fire.

    1. dReed ….

      While I agree that Mullins .. could .. generate some
      excitement .. ( after watching him in TC )… I cannot agree that
      anyone … who wishes injury to any player … is
      the right call …

      I don’t agree with Grant’s snarkiness … but in this column…
      he points out many positives to think about … and ..
      I’m willing to give CJ a chance ….

      CJ has done some pretty good things, since becoming a Niner…
      but …. only .. when he’s been given some time .. by
      the O-line ….

      And that’s the key …

      Don’t write him off … yet

      1. Reality is the only way Mullens gets a chance is a injury to cjb, not wishing injury on anyone. Cjb has done some good things? For example? He looked pitiful in pre-season, we will find out allot today……

      2. MWNiner

        I am in complete agreement with you…. CJB may not ever be in the same sentence as Jimmy G, other than as team mates, but he brings it to the table when called upon…remember, he was the QB who broke our losing streak…even though he had to suffer several beatings to do so…He’s tuff… and that means a lot in the NFL…just ask Jimmy…

  11. You really need to quit with this paywall BS. I tried 2 different browsers. The PD is way too podunky for a paywall.

      1. Thinking more on this… Perhaps we should open a GoFundMe page for Grant. The pay wall is the only source of Grant’s wages–if the wall fails, Grant is toast.

  12. “But, Beathard is tougher than Garoppolo. “

    Really ? Based on what?

    “Beathard should have improved since last season despite his physical limitations. “

    Really? Based on what?

  13. I moved to so cal years ago but still am a die hard miner fan! Except maybe Cap, I never got any of the games on Sunday. Now today I am thrilled that I get to watch them without going to a sports bar to beg the manager to show it!

    Please do not upset me! Win this game!

    1. Sophia…

      I’m with you kid, if the 49ers pull this one out, it will COMPLETELY screw up the Las Vegas book…GO NINERS !

  14. Anything is possible, Buffalo Minnesota for example, however, Breida and Morris’s are not am100 percent, Rivers has a new toy in Williams. I still think shannhan and lynch need two more yeas then I will say the heat is on, the way they want to build this franchise will take time. All drafts are a crap shoot but maybe we need different scouts due to the picks of Solomon Thomas, joe Williams, and Beathard.

  15. I said after Jimmy got injured that the Niners are going to win more games than people expect. My reasons are that Jimmy G has not played that well this season and the Niners still had opportunities to win. If Beathard has a good game they could. The one thing that separated Jimmy from the herd last season was his quick release. It allowed him to compensate for the poor pass protection and wait longer for receivers to get open. Then with his quick release he would make the pass AND TURN HIS BODY to prepare for the hit that was coming. Except at about 5 minutes in the second half against KC he had not done this season. Instead when no one was open he would protect the ball ( and himself) curl up and wait to get sacked. It appeared he was avoiding hits while being in the act of throwing. This was a different Jimmy then the fearless one that moved the offense last season. That is why he took so many sacks when his quick release should have allowed him to at least throw the ball away. it was as the Chicago player said- he was playing scared. Why the turn around? Could be a few reasons. Starting with the second half the old Jimmy returned, but unfortunately he went to the other extreme and took a stupid risk that got him injured.

    This is why I think the 49ers will be better than expected. They have till, the second half of the last game, not been playing with 2017 Jimmy so the drop off wouldn’t be that much.

          1. Sebbie….

            Since you’re close to the topic, which animal has the most capable brain–pigeon or catfish?

    1. Will, a thousand pardons. I had praised your football acumen, so some catfish decided to diss you.
      .
      Personally, I think you have more football knowledge in your little finger than the haters do in their entire body.
      .
      I look forward to your posts, because you bring so much to this site.
      .
      However, I will hope you do not take it personally if I do correct you. I think it was a Minnesota player who said that.
      .
      Please look at the avatar. They cannot steal that, too. My mouth is represented by a squiggle. Then you will know it is me, and not a fake account.

  16. What will trigger Darren5000’s first blog comment today?

    CJB’s first incomplete pass?

    Foster’s first penalty (of any kind)?

    ??

  17. An amusing speculation with reasons given, but a very long shot bet for victory imo.
    At least for this week’s road game, crowd noise shouldn’t be a factor.
    (So no False Starts fellas!)
    But Grant, what’s your fixation on JG’s looks vs CJB? Might want to let that go; not pertinent in any way to football, and repeating it……..is just a bit weird……

  18. Unlike chess, football is a team game. Something that the ignorant forget.

    So I wonder, how much of the Niners success in the running game has been due to Jimmy G’s expertise in throwing?

    An expertise that CJ has yet to show.

    A fancy way of saying I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chargers game plan was to stop the run and dare CJ to beat him with his arm.

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